Phyllis Bennis is a prolific author, activist, and political commentator. She is a fellow of the institute of policy studies in Washington focusing on the Middle East, US foreign policy, and UN issues. Her latest book, ISIS and Syria outline the growth of ISIS from 2014-2018, the conditions that gave rise to such an extremist movement, and the role of western powers in the civil war in Syria. In this episode, Phyllis explains the origins of the conflict in the Middle East, the Syrian conflict, the ongoing Yemeni war, the role of US and Israel and the path forward.